The gates of the Tenth City groaned open at dawn.

Mist curled through the massive archway, parting around the figures that emerged. Ten hosts led the procession, robed in pale gray, their faces sharp with authority. Behind them came a caravan of attendants, guards, and traders, the early light catching on their armor and scales of beast-leather.

Waldo walked at the forefront, a steady, calculating figure. When his eyes rose to the towering creature before him — the Black Tortoise, its shell vast as a fortress, its sides draped with dozens of pale cocoons — his pupils narrowed to pinpoints.

"So…" murmured one of the hosts at his side, voice low with unease. "The bait last night was completely taken."

"It seems our little 'test' met its end," Waldo replied coolly, folding his arms. "The Black Tortoise City is far stronger than we imagined."

A flicker of caution crossed his face. He masked it quickly.

Beside him, Liyi Yi — the green-haired mistress of one of the smaller factions — squinted up at the ancient beast. The sight of those silk-wrapped corpses stirred something sharp in her mind. Her thoughts began to turn, schemes forming behind her calm expression.

"Let's move," Waldo said, catching her gaze briefly before striding forward.

Luciel awaited them at the foot of the platform, a faint smile touching his lips. "You're up early," he greeted, his tone light, his dark eyes unreadable.

"We wanted to begin trade as soon as possible," Waldo replied with practiced politeness.

The hosts behind him surveyed the goods laid out behind Luciel and his people — crates, barrels, and neatly stacked bundles. Their eyes gleamed with restrained greed.

"Mirean," Luciel said mildly. "Begin the exchange."

At his gesture, Mirean Moon stepped forward, the hem of her dark dress brushing the stone. She carried a book bound in beast hide, opening it with a graceful flick of her wrist. "Please line up and trade in order," she said, her voice smooth and calm — a note of iron beneath the elegance.

The first to step forward was Waldo himself. "These are twenty serpentlings," he said, motioning to his men. They handed over a cloth pouch that writhed faintly with life.

Elara came forward to receive it. She loosened the tie and peered inside — twenty small snakes, each no thicker than a finger, coiled together like living silver threads. She closed the pouch and gave Luciel a confirming nod.

"Good," Luciel said softly.

Another host approached next, clearly nervous. "I… I've brought a triangle sheep," he said, tugging on the rope in his hands.

The creature stumbled forward — a lean, gray-furred beast with a horn shaped like a jagged triangle crowning its brow. It bleated once, weakly, ribs showing beneath its hide.

Luciel regarded it for a moment. "Acceptable," he said. "Though next time, feed it before you bring it."

He watched as the creature was led away, his mind already shifting elsewhere. What do these animals eat to survive here? he wondered. If they can adapt to this land, perhaps they can be bred — no more relying on the wilderness to feed us.

He filed the thought away for later.

Meanwhile, Alina stepped forward, her pink eyes bright as she reached out to steady the trembling lamb. Her gaze lingered on its flank, and she swallowed. "That part looks tender," she murmured under her breath.

Elara caught the look and nudged her sharply. "Don't even think about it," she hissed. "It's not for eating."

"I–I wasn't!" Alina said quickly, turning her face away, though the guilty flush on her cheeks betrayed her.

"Mino," Luciel called, his tone returning to command. "Have the stalls prepared."

"Yes, sir!" the rabbit-eared girl replied. She hurried off, rallying the others. Alec and the workers moved efficiently, spreading cloths over the stone, unsealing crates of fresh vegetables and saplings, and stacking barrels of water into neat mounds.

The scent of damp earth and green leaves filled the air — a rare perfume in this desolate world.

Waldo and his group lingered nearby, their curiosity piqued. They wanted to see what the Black Tortoise would offer — and at what price.

"Everyone," Alec began, cued by a subtle nod from Mirean Moon. He raised his voice so it carried across the square. "We have water! Fresh, clean water! Vegetables, young plants, pottery! All available for beast spars!"

The crowd stirred.

At first, there was hesitation. The corpses swaying in their white cocoons above were not forgotten; they were a warning. Those who'd tested Luciel's patience last night now hung lifeless on the beast's shell — a silent deterrent to greed.

But the promise of trade was stronger than fear.

Gradually, people began to step forward, clutching small pouches heavy with crystal shards — the condensed cores of slain beasts, glimmering faintly in the light.

Alec continued, voice ringing clear:

"Water — one low-tier beast spar per bucket!"

"Pottery bowls — finely crafted, one low-tier spar each!"

"Cabbage seedlings — twelve beast spars, low to mid-grade!"

"Tomatoes — one mid-tier spar per fruit!"

He paused, letting the murmurs rise. "Tomato seedlings — one hundred beast spars, low to mid-tier!"

The numbers drew gasps. Eyes widened. Yet curiosity soon overcame restraint.

"Bring me ten buckets of water!" someone called.

"I haven't had greens in weeks — give me a cabbage!"

"I'll take five seedlings!" shouted another.

Within moments, the quiet market exploded into motion. People surged toward the stalls, shouting prices, thrusting their beast spars forward. Water and vegetables vanished first — the simplest, most immediate needs. The rarer seedlings remained longer on display, admired but rarely purchased.

"Tomato seedlings," a host murmured, eyeing the delicate sprouts. "They're sturdier than the cabbage. Worth more in the long run."

Another nodded. "When they grow, they bear fruit. Food that replenishes itself."

"If you wish to trade, then go," Waldo said evenly, his face unreadable.

He folded his arms, watching. "I'll wait."

His companions glanced at him, surprised. "You're not trading?"

"Not yet." His tone was calm but hard. "Let them drive up their own prices. When the trading slows, we'll step in and bring the value down."

The hosts exchanged glances, catching on quickly.

"Yes," one said. "When they realize their goods won't all sell, they'll lower the price. Then we move."

They nodded in quiet agreement, retreating slightly from the crowd.

Only Liyi Yi remained still, her sharp green eyes flicking between the trading stalls and the gathered hosts. After a moment, she stepped forward.

"Since everyone's waiting," she said lightly, "I'll make my trade first."

Several hosts frowned. "What is she doing?" one muttered.

"Let her," Waldo said without looking at them. "As long as she's within the city, she won't dare pull anything foolish."

Even so, his gaze followed her subtly.

Liyi Yi approached the platform where Luciel and Mirean Moon stood. The closer she drew, the heavier her heart felt. The man before her was quiet, composed — but there was something about the stillness in his eyes that set her nerves on edge.

"Your Excellency," she said softly, bowing her head. "I wish to make a trade… a private one."

Luciel's brow lifted slightly. "If you want to trade, speak with the stalls," he said, gesturing toward the others.

She shook her head quickly, glancing back toward Waldo and the other hosts. "No," she said under her breath. "Not that kind of trade."

Luciel studied her for a moment, then spoke in a tone as calm as ever. "I won't act against the Tenth City," he said, preempting whatever she might have asked. "If that's your request, I'm not interested."

Panic flickered across her face. "No, no, you misunderstand!" she said quickly, hands raised. "I have no desire to overthrow the city. I only wish to… to leave it."

Luciel's eyes narrowed slightly. "Speak clearly."

Taking a breath, Liyi Yi straightened her back, her voice trembling but resolute. "I wish to buy your protection, just long enough for my people to escape the Tenth City's reach."

Luciel tilted his head. "Escape? To where?"

"Our faction has been suppressed," she said bitterly, her words low and fast. "We can no longer survive here. We mean to leave — to settle in Amestris City."

The moment the name left her lips, Elara and Alina both stiffened. Their eyes snapped toward her, pupils constricting in alarm.

Luciel's gaze flicked toward them briefly, then back to the woman before him. "You want me to escort you there?" he asked, half-incredulous.

Liyi Yi shook her head quickly. "No, not escort. Just… help us slip past the walls, past the patrols. Once we're beyond the city's reach, we can manage on our own."

Her voice lowered further. "After that, we'll disappear. I swear it."

Luciel said nothing for a long moment. His silence weighed heavy, and she could hear her own heartbeat thundering in her ears.

Five hundred souls — that's what she carried behind her plea. Five hundred men, women, and children under her banner. Too many for the Black Tortoise to house. She knew that. She wasn't asking for sanctuary — only for a crack in the city's armor through which to flee.

But she also knew what it meant to ask this man for anything.

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